Power mechanism



July 27, 1948. J. D. BELL POWER MECHANISM 4Filed May 15, 1945 a '23 l a 2/ @nu l I' f zo I y IN V EN TOR.r

Patented July 27, `1948 U N I T ED STATES f 2,445,819 l PWER`MECHANISM Joseph. D. Bell, San Francisco, Calif. Application May `15, 1945Selia1N9C593g895 'The present invention relates to improvements in :a power mechanism, and has lparticular ref- .,erenceto arcamdrive vsuch as has been described in ymy co-pending applications Serial Numbers 518,466, now Patent 2,440,674, issuedMay 4, -194:8; 566,765 and'584,876.

in the rst one `of the above applications it was proposed to provide two concentric helical cam :tracks .interlocked for rotary movement in opposite, directions, and xa .rectilinearly movable drive `pinengaging .over both cam. tracks at `.theirintersections for rotating the cam tracks on the power stroke and for being .lifted by the cams on the return stroke. An additional cam was provided to exert `pull on the `pin on the suction strokeof the engine.

In the second application it was @proposed to provide two -cam tracks for the suction stroke `as well vas for ythe drive stroke of an engine, and a speciiic arrangement was shown -for solving 4,certain structural problems, inasmuch as the .pin was arranged-to project over the cam tracks `from the outside, which Amade `it necessary `for the outer cam, at least, to extend vthrough the `entire thickness of the :cylinder carrying Athe cam.

In- Vthe third application Iprovideda-:diierent arrangement of at least two cams for the drive andA lifting strokes and two cams Vfor the Vsuction stroke, particularly with the View of rendering the entire drive more compact and also with the View-of providing for a certain y :wheel effect, which would eliminate the necessity of providing a special fly wheel.

In the present invention it is ,proposed to still further exploit :the idea of the ifly ,wheel 4effect by placing all the cams on the outside of the drive pins whereby naturally the `diameters of the cams are increased and a greater y ywheel effect is produced.

.It` is further v.proposed to simplify the construction of the mechanism by .arranging the drive members within the cams and by causing the drive pins to project over the .cams from Within the cams.

`It is a further .objectof the invention toil-frio- Vide novel structural arrangements vfor effecting driving relation between the cams.

And finally it is proposed, `in a modified form of the invention, .to provide rigid connections between oppositely arranged drive Apins moving Ain the samedirection.

`Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification ,proceeds and the novel features of the invention will bedelfined in the attachedclaims; e

Figure 2,

'-Ihe'preferred -forros of the presentinvention are illustratedl Lin the laccompanying drawing lin which M Figure 1 shows a -side elevation of my power mechanism,

Figure 2, fa v'horizontal `section taken along `line Z-ZofFigure -1,

Fig-ure -3, a central vertical Asection `through my power mechanism taken along line '3-3 -of v3 and nuts i4.. :A main shaft :15 1is-central1ly supe` portedinthe plates throughzbearingsi hA .cylindrical .-cup f'l .is .mounted :conoentrically on. the shaft, ,and has ,a-hub .'I' zprojecting ,downward .from the bottom, :the hub `being made to have. .a .close 'fit Lupen the lshaft `and being .secured. thereon zfby ameans fof .a cross-jpin IB. .The upper .end .of the `cup .1s AJrnade in Vithe :form of a helical cam ltra-ck 9. ,This track:may be imade of any suitable .,shape, .and ishere shown as having two peaks and @two depressions, AVwhich is zthe preferredfform, lwhere the yengine employed is of the four-.cycle ztype, .involving aipoweristroke, an exhaust strokaan :intake stroke and .a :compressionstroke. r

.A second cup I II .is telescopedfoverthe firstncup from the :bottom :and has ga hub .Il projecting .trom its bottom, which llatter hub `is ,concentric `Alvitlil the hubaof `the rst Aofupianyi is spacedtheref from to accommodate bearings I2. The :second cup is supported, through bearings I3, on faffring gear I4 -lxeflpupn the l,hub of .thetrst cup ,by meansof :the ,cross-pint. 1 1

The hub-of the secondicuplhas aringgearl injuxtaposition to ring gear EIB. The two ring gea-rs are ,made to :rotate in ,opposite directions by meansof aseriesof :pnions I6 supported in bearings Il mounted upon -the ,bottom.p1ate2, This arrangement causes rotative powerexerted on lthe s eoondfupto hetransmitted-to thermain shaft. l

`'lifhe .upper .end of .the second .cup .L0 ,is made 3 to form a helical cam track I8 substantially similar in shape to that of the inner cam track 9. An inverted cam track i9 of the same shape is superimposed on the cam track I8, by means of brackets l' and in spaced relation to accommodate therebetween the rollers 20 on the drive ypins or push members 2| projecting laterally from the connecting rods 2|'. Similar rollers 22 are provided, for engagement with the inner cam track, on the drive pins inside of the outer rollers.

The engine (not shown in full) is mounted above the upper plate 2 and is here contemplated as a four cylinder internal combustion engine operating on the Otto cycle. The four cylinders are grouped annularly about the axis of the main shaft over the inside space of the inner cup and fairly close to the wall thereof. Only the pistons 23 are shown in the drawing. The connecting rods 2|' are preferably nxed with respect to the pistons and carry the drive pins 2| at their lower ends. The connecting rods are also equipped, at their lower ends, with wings 24 riding in fixed channels 25 suspended from the upper plate 2 and extending into theinner cup 1. A

In operation, assuming that the parts are in motion due to momentum or due to operation of the conventional starter mechanism, and taking the left hand piston, which is at the beginning of the power stroke, it is apparent that its drive pin will split the two loWer cam tracks 9 and i8 to form a crotch and Will ldrive down the crotch to rotate the two cups in opposite directions. After the depressions of the cam tracks have reached the drive pin, the ascending grades Will force the piston upward for the exhaust stroke, until the second peaks reach the pin. Thereafter the downward grade of the upper cam I9 will pull down the pin for the suction stroke, whereupon the ascending grades of the two lower cams 9 and I 8 will again force the piston upward for the compression stroke.

It will be noted that the drive pins extend over both calms of the lower tracks from the inside of the inner track. This calls for an arrangement of the pistons over the inside of the inner cup, and since the piston and cylinder assembly calls for considerable space, it is apparent that the cups must be of considerable diameter, sufficient to produce a fly wheel effect of substantial force.

The cups with their hubs of reduced diameter resemble in shape the upper half of a bottle which has been inverted, and have been referred to in certain clailms as being bottle-shaped.

Since opposing pins, in a four cylinder arrangement, travel up and down in unison, it is possible to brace the same against one another, and for the purpose of steadying their movement, acrossmember 26 has been introduced in the modified form of Figures 4 and 5, the cross-member connecting opposing drive pins and being provided with a central hub section 2l riding on the main .shaft 5. f

I claim:

1. In a power mechanism, a frame, two spirally 4tracked cams supported thereon for independent rotation, one telescoped over the other, and a vpush member extending from the inside of the inner cam over the tracks of both cams, the said member being operable to rotate the cams in opposite directions by applying pressure on the two tracks.

2. In a power mechanism, a Imain frame having a shaft journaled therein, two bottle shaped spirally tracked cams one of said cams beingtelescoped over the other and being revolvable with respect thereto, and one of said cams being fastened to the shaft, and a push member, said member projecting from the inside of the inner cam over the tracks of both cams and being operable for rotating the said cams in opposite directions v by pressure in the said tracks.

3. In a power mechanism, a main frame having a shaft journaled therein, two bottle shaped spirally tracked cams one oi said cams being telesco-ped over the other, and one of said cams being fastened to the shaft, a push member, said mermber projecting from the inside of the main cam over the tracks of both cams and being operable for rotating the said cams in opposite directions by pressure on the said tracks, the neck of the outer cam being spaced from the neck of the inner cam for housing bearings therebetween.

4. In a power mechanism, a frame having a shaft revolvable therein, a cup having a bottom hub fixed upon the shaft, a second cup telescoped on the first cup and having a bottom hub concentric with the nrst hub and spaced therefrom, gearing interposed between the hubs for ytransmitting rotary motion from one to the other in opposite directions, and means operative on the cups for revolving the latter in opposite directions.

5. In a power mechanism, a frame having a shaft revolvable therein, a cup secured upon the shaft and having a helical cam formed thereon with opposing peaks and depressions, opposed push members active on the cam at opposite points for rotating the cup, and a rigid connection between the push members extending across the cup, the rigid connection being apertured for sliding on the shaft.

6. In a power mechanism, a plate having an annular series of pistons reciprocably above the same and having an annular series of holes underneath the pistons and having guides suspended therefrom on opposite sides of the holes, connecting rods secured to the pistons and extending through the holes and having vanes slidable in the guides', a cylinder having a cam track thereon and being revolvable around the connecting rods, a second cylinder mounted on the outside of the first cylinder and in concentric relation thereto and having a cam track operable for rotation in the opposite direction and for forming crotches with the rst calm track, and drive pins projecting from the connecting rods over the crotches for wedging the cam tracks apart when the" pistons are made to descend. i

7. In a powermechanism, a plate having an annular series of pistons reciprocably abovethe salme and having an annular series of holes underneath the pistons and having guides suspended therefrom on opposite sides of the holes, connecting rods secured to the pistons an-d extending through the holes and having vanes slidable in the guides, a cylinder having a cam track thereon and being revolvable around the connecting rods, a second cylinder mounted on the outside of the first cylinder and in concentric relation thereto vand having a cam track operable for rotation in the opposite direction and for forming crotches with the first cam track, and drive pins projecting from the connecting rods over the crotcheslfor wedging the cam tracks apart when the pistons are made to descend, the cylinders having interconnecting imeans for transmitting-motion from one of the cylinders to the other in the opposite direction. v f

8. In a power mechanism, a plate having an annular series of pistons reciprocably above the same and having an annular series of holes underneath the pistons and having guides suspended therefrom on opposite sides of the holes, connecting rods secured to the pistons and extending through the holes and having vanes slidable in the guides, a cylinder having a calm track thereon and being revolvable around the connecting rods, a second cylinder mounted on the outside of the iirst cylinder and in concentric relation thereto and having a cam track operable for rotation in the opposite direction and for forming crotches with the rst cam track, drive pins projecting from the connecting rods over the crotches for wedging the cam tracks apart when the pistons are made to descend, a second plate mounted in spaced and parallel relation to the rst plate, a shaft revolvable in the two plates centrally of the connecting rods and having one of the cylinders fixed thereto, and means between the plates and underneath the cylinders for transmitting motion from the other cylinder to the shaft in the opposite direction.

9. In a power mechanism, a plate having an annular series of pistons reciprocably above the same and having an annular series of holes underneath the pistons and having guides suspended therefrom on opposite sides of the holes, connecting rods secured to the pistons and extending through the holes and having vanes slidable in the guides, a cylinder having a cam track thereon and being revolvable around the connecting rods, a second cylinder mounted on the outside of the rst cylinder and in concentric relation thereto and having a cam track operable for rotation in the opposite direction and for forming crotches with the iirst cam track, drive pins projecting from the connecting rods over the crotches for wedging the cam tracks apart when the pistons are made to descend, a second plate mounted in spaced and parallel relation to the rst plate, a shaft revolvable in the two plates centrally of the connecting rods and having one of the cylinders fixed thereto, and means between the plates and underneath the cylinders for transmitting motion from the other cylinder to the shaft in the opposite direction, the latter means comprising bearing members mounted upon the second plate, stub shafts revolvable therein and having pinions thereon, and ring gears mounted with respect to the two cylinders and meshing with the pinions.

10. In la power mechanism, an upper and a lower plate, means for mounting the two plates in spaced and parallel relation, a shaft having bearing in the two plates, a cylinder having a cam track thereon and having a hub secured upon the shaft and a ring .gear on the lower end of the hub, a second cylinder mounted outside the first cylinder and concentric therewith and having a cam track in cooperative relation to the iirst cam track and a hub surrounding the nrst hub, bearings interposed between the hubs and between the second hub and the ring gear, a ring gear on the second cylinder in opposing relation to the first ring gear, bearing members supported on the lower plate, stub shafts revolvable in the latter members and having pinions meshing with the two ring gears, and means operative on the cam tracks for revolving the salme in opposite directions.

ll. In a power mechanism, an upper and a lower plate, means for :mounting the two plates in spaced and parallel relation, a shaft having bearing in the two plates, a -cylinder having a cam track thereon and having a hub secured upon the shaft and a ring gear on the lower end of the hub, a second cylinder mounted outside the rst cylinder and concentric therewith and having a cam track in cooperative relation to the rst cam track and a hub surrounding the rst hub, bearings interposed between the hubs and between the second hub and the ring gear, a ring gear on the second cylinder in opposing relation to the first ring gear, bearing 'members supported on the lower plate, stub shafts revolvable in the latter inembers and having pinions meshing with the twlo ring gears, and means operative on the cam tracks for revolving the same in opposite directions, the latter means including piston rods reciprocable on the inside of the cylinders and drive pins projecting from the piston rods over both cam tracks.

JOSEPH D. BELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 893,258 Mills July 14, 1908 1,177,126 Miller Mal. 28, 1916 1,727,051 Davis Sept. 3, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 324,174 Italy Jan. 23, 1935 

